This is the question I’ve been asking myself for the last couple of months.

As you might guess from browsing this site, I like to have several things on the go at once. It’s perhaps a consequence of being split-down-the-middle in terms of job-related passions. I have the misfortune of being both a writer and an actor: an absolute misfortune because they are two of the worst industries if you want to make enough money to do things like eat, and also because they are the two jobs that sound most wanky together. You may have had this conversation multiple times, particularly if you live in Melbourne:

‘What do you do for a living?’

‘I’m a writer and actor.’

‘…Oh.’ *crickets*

…Because every second person is a ‘writer’ or an ‘actor’, and often both.

But I’m different and special because I do actually do both professionally. *Smiles winsomely*

Regardless, I do like to have several projects going at once. For example, at the moment I am:

Operating my usual digital content and communications business

Designing a social media course that will be presented through Telstra

Co-operating a growing theatre company and trying to grow its corporate arm

Running a toasted-sandwich pop-up cafe from my window

Publishing erotica on various platforms

Testing out Fiverr.com as a sales platform

Planning an accessories/design business

Developing a new show for TBC

Plus a couple of other things here and there.

So I thought I’d investigate whether I really am crazy to attempt all these or whether it’s a decent strategy to spread yourself around like this.

The results? Well, I wrote it up properly in a LinkedIn post, which you can go and read at your convenience, but in short:

If your time is being split doing stuff you hate, you’ll only get stressed

If your time is being split doing stuff you love, you’ll probably achieve more and be more satisfied.

So there you are. I managed to find evidence to support what I wanted to do anyway.

Of course you can. The calendar’s just there, at the bottom of your screen. But sympathise with me here a moment if you can.

I had real goals this year. My primary goal (apart from sorting out the waterfall that flows down my back door whenever it rains) was to explore the dark and murky depths as an erotica writer. You heard me. Smut. Apart from that, I wanted to tidy up this site and maybe land a few more interesting clients.

Then one of those completely random life things happened, and before I knew it the first six months of the year had been wiped out. Then came July, and now August has skittered by on its many frozen little legs.

The good news is that things have happened. Smut is happening (I won’t publish my pen name here but interested parties may apply to me for it). I have recently had a partial piece accepted by Cracked.com, and I have had a French client approach me for social media strategy.

Things are looking up. If you’ve got questions about content, social media or other things writing, get in touch!

-H.

]]>http://www.hclarecallow.com/update/feed/0Getting organised in a disorganised worldhttp://www.hclarecallow.com/whassup/
http://www.hclarecallow.com/whassup/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 06:22:53 +0000http://www.hclarecallow.com/?p=1Read more]]>What happens when you have too many ideas at once?

You turn into me, that’s what.

One of the best things about being a freelancer is the ability to pursue projects that interest me. Unfortunately, this also means I don’t have someone leaning over my shoulder saying, ‘You can’t do that and that and that all at the same time. Do this thing first.

I suspect it’s a trait the majority of creative freelancers have, but at the moment I’m finding it particularly troublesome. The main reason is because I am, for the first time, actively trying to publish a book. Not get published, mind you, but publish my own. I want something out there that speaks for me without me having to actually work on it all the time – something that attracts those royalties I’ve always heard so much about.

I am in no way pursuing this as a highbrow adventure. So far, I’m approaching it two ways: one via the erotica route, which is quite popular but not particularly something to brag about in my business services, and the other via a more business advice-y way.

Of course, the fact that I can’t even whittle it down to one book project gives you an insight into the way my mind works. It’s like there’s a little monster inside saying ‘Everything, everything, now, now, now!’

In the meantime, there’s the development of the next show for my theatre company, TBC, marketing, blog posts, clothing design launches, course designs and, finally, parenting.